Fruit-picker.



P. MGCONVILLE.

FRUIT PICKER. APPLIGATION FILED Nov.27,19o8.

fruit from the head, 1, is shown provided in its n `held spaced PIERRE'MCeoNvILLE,- or CCEUR D'ALENE, IDAHO.

FRUIT-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Application filed November 27, 1908. Serial No. 464,711.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PIERRE MCCoNvILLE, a citizen of the United States, Aresiding at- Cur dAlene, in the county of Kootenai and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit- Pickers; and I do declare the following .to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable Aothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to' makeand use the same.

This invention relates vto an improved fruit picker and the object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed and efficient device .of this character which will .pick the top of trees alidother points without danger of damaging it.

l/Vith t-his and ot-her objects in view, the invention consists of certainlnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of this improved picker with the clamping fingers in open normal position, andl with the handle broken lar view with the lingers in closed position, and Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of this improved picker with the fingers in open positlon and with parts broken out.

In the embodiment illustrated, a hollow pper end with radially extending slots as 2, 1n` which are mounted spring lingers, as 3, which are pivoted at 3 to said head and are preferably covered at their outer ends with rubber tub ing, 4, or other suitable material to prevent Injury to the fruit when grasped thereby. These fingers a're curved as shown in the drawings and the lower ends thereof are pivotally connected tofa shank, 5, which has a concave disk at its outer endto receive the fruit to be gathered and which is normally from said head. This shank, 5, 1s preferably provided with slots, as 7 in which the lower ends of the fingers, 3, extend and are pivoted by pins, as 8, which pass through elongated slots, as 9, in said fingers.

A tubular handle., nected at one end to the head, 1, andhas a finger operating rod, 11, mounted to move longitudinally therein, its vupper or inner end being connected with the inner end of the shank, 5, being preferably made integral olf; Fig.` 2 represents a simi-- 10, is dctachably con"-v gers, 3, normally -p'ush spring, 15,

.ci le or sacriicinga'ny of hollow head provided ,any suitable material, thel `and vthe rod, 11,

claims.

therewith. This rod, 11, is vprovided with a laterally extending arm, 12,whlch projects through a slot, 13,- in the tubc,.10, and is provided at its outer end with a knob or button,

14, the slot through. which said arm 12 projects being designed to limit the movement of the rod, 11, in both directions. The knob 17 may also be used to 11 to close the lingers when desired. A' spring, 15, is mounted on the between the lower face of the shank, 5, and a member, 16, withinlthe hollow head and designed to force the shank, 5, with the finoutward in open position. In the use of this invention, the lingers, 3, are held normally in open position by the and when the fruit to be selected, these fingers are rod, 11,

pIcked has been placed thereover 17, is grasped and moved outward, whereby the shank, 5, and disk, G, are moved inward against the tension ofthe spring, 15, and close-- the fingers with the fruit securely clamped therebetween. `On the release of the knob, the fingers fly outwardly under the tension of the spring and the fruit is released and may be dropped into any `desired receptacle, the outwardmovement .being limited by contact of the arm, 12.A The various parts of this devicev may be made of ripping lfingers being pre era'bly made of steel and the tubular handle may be made any desired length. f l

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the constructionand operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the orm, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the printhe advantages o the invention as defined in the appended I claim as my invention 1. In a fruit picker, the combination of a with a plurality of radially extending slots, a disk for closing theouter end of said head and to receive the fruit, a shank extending from said disk into said head, curved fingers extending through said slots and pivotally connected to said shank and to the walls-of said slots below said disk whereby the disk is arranged between said fingers to limit their Ainward or and one of the knobs, 14 orl operate the rod closing movement, lan operating rod oonnected with said shank, a spring mounted to hold said fingers normally open and means' connected with said rod to move it against the tension of said spring to close the fingers.

2. In a fruit picker, the combination of a lhollow head having a transverse apertured in said head and having longitudinal slots in their inner ends, said slotted ends being pivotally mounted and housed in the slots of said shank to prevent them from coming in contact with the fruit being gathered, said fingers being also pivotally mounted in the slots of said head and having the disk arranged between them, a coiled push spring arranged in said head on said rod between said shank and Said partition to hold the disk normally in outward position and said fingers open, and means for operatingsaid rod to retract said spring to close the fingers.

3. In a. fruit picker, the combination of a hollow head, a hollow handle detachably connected with'said headand arranged in longitudinal alinement therewith, an operat-.

mg rod movable longitudinally in said handle and having an integral shank at one vend provided with a laterally extending head arranged to seat on the outer end of said hollow head, said heads beingnormally in separated position, a spring arranged on said rod to hold its head in normally projected position out of engagement with the seat on the hollow head, a plurality of curved griping fingers pivotally connected at their inner ends to said lrod carried shank and to the side walls of said hollow head, ysaid rod carried head being arranged within' said fingers and adapted to limit their inward movement.

In testimony whereof I havehereunto set myhand in presence of two subscribing witnesSeS.

y vPIERRE MCCONVILLE. Viitnesses:

V. W. PLATT, H. P. GLINDEMAN. 

